ADLG 07

Chapter 7

In one corner of the office at the Baldwin Ducal House stood a bookshelf filled with notebooks.

Heinrich walked straight toward it and, without hesitation, pulled out a particular notebook.

It was an extremely old notebook. The leather cover had worn thin from how faithfully it had been filled over the years.

As he turned a page, the name Libenya Baldwin appeared in elegant cursive handwriting.

Heinrich gently brushed his fingertips over the name written more than ten years ago, as though afraid the ink might smudge.

Turning more pages revealed maps densely drawn by Libenya herself. They were vein maps created using magical mining tools.

And among those maps was the very mine where Nadia had recently excavated magic stones.

“So Libenya knew too. That there were magic stones in that land.”

Perhaps it was merely coincidence.

Just as Libenya had discovered the location of the magic stones, Nadia might have uncovered them through some method of her own.

But was it not all too perfect?

The Hess territory had survived in poverty for years by mining nothing but coal, so how was it that they suddenly discovered magic stones the moment Baroness Hess fell ill?

Perhaps Nadia knew something connected to Libenya.

It was only the faintest possibility, but Heinrich could not bring himself to abandon even that.

That was why he had asked his mother, the Dowager Duchess of Baldwin, to host a social gathering.

If he attended the party and met Nadia once more, perhaps he might find a clue.

Heinrich carefully held the notebook for a moment before returning it to the shelf.

No matter what, he had to attend the party and meet Nadia.

The day of the party hosted by the Baldwin Ducal House arrived in the blink of an eye.

Before dawn had even fully broken, Vivian woke Nadia and caused a great commotion insisting on styling her hair. She tied half of it up and braided the remaining curls into thin strands that wrapped elegantly from the sides of her head to the back. Even without elaborate decorations, it looked beautiful.

“My lady’s hair is naturally very curly, so it looks best when part of it is tied up. Otherwise it becomes messy too quickly.”

“You’re quite skilled.”

“I just enjoy this sort of thing.”

At first, Nadia had wondered why Conrad had sent an assassin when he promised her a maid, but Vivian turned out to be surprisingly suitable for the role. She was dexterous and remarkably knowledgeable about current affairs. She talked a little too much, but since a lady’s maid was also meant to serve as companionship, it was not entirely a bad thing.

Nadia’s dress had been altered by the finest seamstress in Hess territory.

The old, frayed lace had been replaced, and outdated jewels were swapped for newer ones. Once the stifling sleeves were removed, the dress became both elegant and refreshing.

Some people would probably dismiss it as a cheap dress no matter what, but Nadia genuinely liked the finished result. It felt even more meaningful because everyone in Hess territory had worked together to improve it.

Perhaps thanks to all that effort, she did not look nearly as shabby as she had feared when they arrived at the Baldwin Ducal House.

Vivian kept staring at Nadia before finally blurting out,

“My lady, you’re going to make a lot of money someday, right?”

“Hm? Well, yes. I want to help the Hess territory.”

“Then when that happens, you’ll buy beautiful dresses too, right?”

“Isn’t this dress pretty already?”

“It’s not ugly, but I mean the newest fashions from the capital!”

“Well, if we expand into the capital, I suppose I’ll need to buy some.”

Nadia had little interest in dresses. She had worn countless luxurious gowns during her time as the Duchess of Baldwin, so she felt no attachment to them anymore. As long as her clothing suited the occasion, she did not care what she wore.

Seeing Nadia’s indifferent reaction, Vivian clenched both fists dramatically in frustration.

“You’re this beautiful, yet you hesitate to spend money on dressing yourself up! It’s such a waste! Later on, I’m definitely choosing dresses for you myself, understood? If we asked the boss to send some dresses, he’d prepare only the finest quality! What a waste!”

Vivian stomped her feet in regret as though she herself had suffered a loss.

Nadia chuckled softly and tapped Vivian lightly on the head with her fan.

“All right. We’ll do that next time. For now, behave yourself.”

“Yes, my lady!”

Not long afterward, a maid from the ducal house came to escort them toward the garden.

Nadia tried her best to keep looking straight ahead, but she could not stop herself from glancing around.

She had lived here for eight years.

Even here, she had never fully escaped her nightmares, but at least this place had allowed her to forget many things for a while.

It was also the first place where she had ever been rewarded for her efforts and allowed herself to grow.

And above all… this was the first time in her life she had ever poured pure affection onto another person.

It had not been romantic love, but that did not make it any less real.

From one human being to another, she had given that child the warmest and purest feelings she possessed.

“Lady Hess, if you proceed this way, you’ll arrive at the garden. Please enjoy yourself.”

The maid bowed politely after guiding them.

Nadia stepped into the garden with smooth, graceful steps.

And there, standing before the fountain at the center of the garden, was a beautiful man she could never possibly forget.

The man Nadia—and Libenya before her—had loved more than anyone else in their entire lives:

Heinrich Baldwin.

The moment she saw him, emotion swelled inside her chest once again.

In Nadia’s memories, Heinrich had been a tall and mature boy who still retained traces of childish innocence.

But the Heinrich standing before her now was a strong young man of twenty-six.

His features had always been striking, but now his face possessed the bold, sculpted beauty of a masterpiece carved by an artist.

His black hair was swept back neatly to reveal his forehead, and the elegant formalwear he wore emphasized both his height and his broad shoulders.

Without realizing it, Nadia stared openly at him—and their eyes met.

His crimson eyes were as pure and vivid as flawless rubies, so intense that they seemed capable of swallowing her whole.

Nadia quickly lowered her head and hurriedly turned away.

“My lady, shouldn’t you greet the Dowager Duchess of Baldwin?”

“She seems busy at the moment, so later is fine. Among everyone gathered here, I have the lowest status, so there’s no need to rush.”

“Then I’ll keep watch for the right timing.”

“Thank you. You’re reliable.”

“It’s nothing!”

Vivian offered Nadia some cheese from a nearby tray, and when Nadia tasted it, she noticed finely chopped walnuts inside.

‘Walnuts? Hiini is allergic to walnuts, so they were never allowed inside the Baldwin Ducal House.’

Nadia’s thoughts were entirely occupied by Heinrich.

One reason she had attended this gathering was to broaden her connections, but in truth, her real purpose had been to see Heinrich for herself.

If Heinrich truly remained unmarried because of Libenya—because of her former self—then she absolutely wanted to stop that.

Without even sipping the champagne Vivian handed her, Nadia absentmindedly swirled the glass in thought.

‘How can I approach Hiini? Simply approaching him won’t be enough. If I want the topic of marriage to arise, we’d need to have a rather deep conversation…’

“…My lady, my lady!”

Vivian gently shook Nadia’s arm.

Snapping out of her thoughts, Nadia lifted her head, intending to scold Vivian for interrupting her.

But the moment she saw Heinrich standing right before her, so close that he had already approached without her noticing, her throat tightened and no words came out.

“We meet again, Lady Hess.”

“Ah…”

There was barely a single step between them, close enough for Nadia to catch the scent of his cologne.

It was no longer the soft familiar scent of the boy she remembered.

That difference helped restore her senses, and Nadia quickly gathered her skirts and offered a proper greeting.

“I, Nadia of the Hess Baron family, greet His Grace, the Duke of Baldwin.”

“This is merely a social gathering meant to encourage unity in the North. There’s no need for such formality.”

Why had Heinrich approached her in the first place?

As Nadia herself had said to Vivian, she possessed the lowest status among everyone present.

There was no reason for Heinrich to take interest in her, which was why she had been trying to think of a way to approach him herself. Yet somehow things had turned out the opposite way.

Still, an opportunity was an opportunity, so Nadia smiled warmly and continued the conversation.

“The garden is truly beautiful. Does Your Grace also enjoy gardening?”

“Unfortunately, I have no talent for such things. My mother is the one who loves gardens.”

“Ah, I see. It’s remarkable that the Dowager Duchess of Baldwin managed this vast garden on her own. If there were a duchess present, she could assist her.”

At those words, one of Heinrich’s brows twitched ever so slightly.

“Of course, Your Grace is an irreplaceable talent within the Empire, so I can understand why you would be cautious regarding marriage.”

Though Nadia spoke politely, she deliberately did not change the subject.

However, Heinrich responded only briefly, as though he did not wish to discuss it at all.

“Yes.”

That was all.

Nadia laughed awkwardly and once more swirled her champagne glass.

Sensing that the conversation between Nadia and Heinrich was not progressing smoothly, Vivian approached carrying several dishes on a tray.

Nadia immediately seized the opportunity to continue talking.

“Ah, the food is excellent. I’m once again impressed by the Dowager Duchess’s taste.”

Nadia glanced toward the cheese on the tray.

It was the same walnut-filled cheese from earlier.

Worried that Heinrich might accidentally eat it and trigger an allergic reaction, Nadia decided she should eat it herself.

But before she could, a large hand reached toward the tray.

Heinrich picked up the small piece of cheese.

“W-Walnuts…!”

Without thinking, Nadia grabbed hold of Heinrich’s wrist.